This will be be my first stab at a figure set. I gotta say the Dragon “directions” are a bit confusing. Are there any “secrets” about the directions I should be aware of?
Also, what is the brass set for. I see nothing about them in the directions.
DML directions can be a bit of a headache, but this kit was part of their GEN2 line, so they are quite a bit clearer than some of the company’s earlier releases. What might be throwing you are the little detail parts they put in to avoid undercuts in the molding process to give a little sharper detail. Things like epaulettes and the hems of the jackets are seperate parts, so build in a logical order and refer to the drawings often. I like to begin assembly by cleaning up the legs and joining them together. Then I add thetors torso, followed by those little details. I’ve found that Testor’s liquid cement gives me ample time to make adjustments to make sure everything fits well and flows properly with the pose of the figure. While everything dries, I clean up the arms, equipment, and weapons. There are optional arms and hands in some of the GEN2 kits, so be careful to select the ones which fit the pose you have in mind. Depending on which arms I choose, I’ll either glue the equipment in place or (if there’s room to work) I will wait until after painting the uniform. It’s really a matter of choice - whatever is comfortable for you. Painting the heads is easier for me if I mount them on brass rod and paint them seperately from the body, but again, your call. The last step is adding the headgear and gluing it all down. The PE brass fret has chin straps for the helmets and slings for the rifles. Personally, these parts just go into the spares box because I prefer lead foil and wire for those sorts of details. If I remember right, the slings for the Garands are a three piece affair that I thought was a pain to get together. Something about it just didn’t look right in the end, so I went back to what works for me. There’s a bit of a learning curve to modelling figures, but if you just take your time at first, it gets much easier and faster with practice. Enjoy the process!